Forget the unicorns and colorful ball pits, the Exploratorium’s visually-striking new inflatable exhibition will be, ahem, blowing up on Instagram this summer.
Opening May 26, Inflatable gathers the air-filled creations of international artists such as Jason Hackenwerth, a forest of cushiony columns by Jimmy Kuehnle and an inflatable insect-eye room from Pneuhauss among others. Remember the giant inflatable bunnies that recently invaded SF’s Civic Center? Those were the works of Amanda Parer, whose floor-to-ceiling, billowing human figures will be looming in and around the museum throughout the summer. Fueled by the whimsy and lightness of balloons, the artists of Inflatable have infused their creations with a technology, scale, and creative complexity.
“In this case the artworks will be dispersed throughout the museum almost like visitors themselves. One minute you’ll be peering through a magnifying glass to study the magnetic properties of black sand and the next you’ll be standing next to an immense glowing humanoid. Both experiences challenge us to consider our perceptions, and our relationship to the world” says Alice Krasinski, Director of Public Space at the Exploratorium.
It’s the stuff of fantasy: after you’ve marveled at a world of glowing, inflatable sea-like creatures, you can squeeze through a forest of towering cylinders, lit from within.
